I fell way behind (and eventually gave up) on keeping track of books last year during the getting-back-from-vacation, having-houseguests, insanely-busy-leadup-to-Halloween August to October, but I'm ready to give it the old college try again this year.
The Little House series:
Little House in the Big Woods
Little House on the Prairie
On the Banks of Plum Creek
On the Shores of Silver Lake
The Long Winter
Little Town on the Prairie
These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Yes, I'm missing The First Four Years. I never liked it as much. As I said before, it's always fascinating re-reading books as an adult. One thing that struck me as a parent is what a different attitude towards children they had then: be seen and not heard. Don't cry or show extreme emotion. Don't be selfish, which translates into giving away the last rags on your back and having very little right to personal possessions. Even when I was a child, I thought it was horribly unjust that Laura was forced to give her only doll away, and it appalls me even more as a parent.
And yet people grew up to be functional adults capable of loving relationships, despite being raised in a philosophy vastly different than modern sensibilities. Puts some perspective on the sometimes histrionic arguments people have about the "right" way to raise children.
The China Bride by Mary Jo Putney
I blush to include this, but hey, every once in a while a good steamy romance hits the spot, especially on a cold winter night. And that's all I have to say on the subject.
Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
I can't say enough good things about this wonderful graphic novel, a must-read for anyone who likes fairy tales. It's a lively and sweet story that starts out in Sleeping Beauty but goes far beyond that.
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